Bill Text: NY S09222 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Creates the jockey health insurance reserve fund for the payment of premiums not yet paid; provides for the return of funds if such reserve fund becomes no longer necessary.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2024-06-05 - referred to racing and wagering [S09222 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S09222-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          9222

                    IN SENATE

                                       May 6, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen. ADDABBO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Racing, Gaming and  Wager-
          ing

        AN  ACT  to  amend the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law, in
          relation to the creation of the jockey health insurance reserve fund

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  Subdivision 1 of section 221-a of the racing, pari-mutuel
     2  wagering and breeding law, as amended by chapter  243  of  the  laws  of
     3  2020, is amended to read as follows:
     4    1. A franchised corporation shall, as a condition of racing, establish
     5  a  program  to  administer the purchase of health insurance for eligible
     6  jockeys.
     7    Such program shall be funded through the deposit of one  and  one-half
     8  percent  of the gross purse enhancement amount from video lottery gaming
     9  at a thoroughbred track pursuant to paragraph two of subdivision  b  and
    10  paragraph  one of subdivision f of section sixteen hundred twelve of the
    11  tax law. The franchised corporation shall establish a segregated account
    12  for the receipt of these monies and these monies shall  remain  separate
    13  from  any  other funds. Any corporation or association licensed pursuant
    14  to this article shall pay into such account any amount  due  within  ten
    15  days  of  the  receipt  of  revenue  pursuant to section sixteen hundred
    16  twelve of the tax law. Any portion of such funding to the account unused
    17  during a calendar year, less an amount sufficient to  cover  anticipated
    18  premium liabilities over the next sixty days, shall be returned on a pro
    19  rata  basis  in  accordance  with the amounts originally contributed and
    20  shall be used for the  purpose  of  enhancing  purses  at  such  tracks.
    21  Provided,  however, if a corporation or association licensed pursuant to
    22  this article provides an alternative source of funding for this program,
    23  an amount equal to this alternative funding, but not in  excess  of  the
    24  amount  originally  contributed  during  the  year  from the gross purse
    25  enhancement amount from video lottery gaming attributable to such corpo-
    26  ration or association, shall be returned to the corporation  or  associ-
    27  ation  and  used  for  the  purpose  of  enhancing purses at such track.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD15452-01-4

        S. 9222                             2

     1  Provided, further, any  such  alternative  source  of  funding  must  be
     2  approved by the commission.  Provided, however, an additional segregated
     3  account  may  be  established with such monies as a reserve fund for the
     4  payment  of premiums not yet paid. The amount paid into such fund during
     5  any calendar year, if any, shall be upon the approval of the  franchised
     6  corporation  and  the  jockey's  organization  that  represents at least
     7  fifty-one percent of eligible active jockeys.  If, after the  establish-
     8  ment  of  such fund, a determination is made that such fund is no longer
     9  needed, the monies remaining in such fund shall be  returned  on  a  pro
    10  rata  basis  in  accordance  with the amounts originally contributed and
    11  shall be used for the purposes of enhancing purses at such tracks.
    12    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
feedback